unstructured interviews Flashcards
(21 cards)
What are unstructured interviews?
qualitative method, allow for greater depth, interpretivists prefer them, can gain verstehen, interviews may also be semi-structured.
What is an interview shcedule?
Topics in mind interviewer wants to cover.
Why do you think Oakley chose to use unstructured interviews to study motherhood?
motherhood is a complex topic, needs to be explored in an in-depth way.
What is a focus group and what are the advantages of this approach?
When group interview focuses on a particular topic and people are free to talk to one another as well as the interviewer.
What is the interviewer effect?
the social characteristic of the interviewer impacts the answer that will be given, e.g.- if interviewer is same ethnic background of someone, answer likely to be more valid.
Example studies of interviewer effect?
Nazroos study, Oakley- motherhood and household tasks study.
What did Bott use and what were the advantages?
used unstructured interviews to study conjugal roles and social networks.
helps to show advantage of unstructured interviews as you don’t know what info will be found out, if using questionnaire, have to prep and formulate questions.
What are the 4 types of unstructured interview techniques?
non directive, directive/aggressive, empathetic, group.
What’s an example of a non-directive interview?
Barker, unification in church
participant observation and informal interviewing. Followed interview schedule allowing respondents to talk freely.
What were the advantages and disadvantages of Barkers study?
advantage- establish rapport and understanding between themselves and interviewer.
Barker obtained vast amount of data and found patterns and trends.
disadvantage- interviews can last hours and transcribes may have to be written.
What’s an example of the directive interview?
Becker used active direct approach, studied Chicago school teachers.
What were the advantages and disadvantages of Beckers study?
advantages-Provides much fuller data if interviewees are challenged on some of views, easier to get true opinion.
uncover feelings that may have been hidden.
disadvantages- style of interview can become a little like an interrogation.
Give an example of the empathetic interview?
Oakley, studied experiences of motherhood for British women, using own experience, considered an “insider”.
What were the advantages and disadvantages of Oakleys interview?
Advantages- can empathise and support people you’re interviewing, gain trust and produce valid data
interviewer vias, questions can be worded different if empathetic connection made.
Give an example of the group interview?
Willis, studied 12 working class “lads”, group interview.
What were the advantages and disadvantages of Willis’ study?
Advantages- respondents feel less intimidated by the interviewer and answer truthfully.
Disadvantages- very difficult to repeat, dynamics of group interviewed by “values” and appearance as well as group dynamics
one person can change dynamic of group enormously.
What are leading questions?
questions that are worded in a certain way to lead the interviewee to a certain answer.
What is subjectivity?
let your opinion involved in your study and your research.
What was Dobash and Dobash’s study about?
violence against wives, took place in women’s refuge who had seeked shelter. Used unstructured interviews and builded rapport, asked women about whole lives x just domestic violence. Interviews lasted up to 12 hours.
What were the advantages and disadvantages of Dobash and Dobash’s study?
advantage- detailed, motives, emotions, reasons and meanings explored, suitable for sensitive topic.
disadvantage- research bias, time consuming, forgot their objectivity.
What did Young and Willmot study and why was it important?
importance of the extended family-structured interviews.
time efficient, high generalisability in research
conducted smaller more intense unstructured interview with a smaller sample.
Used structured and unstructed.
